Little is More

“Little is More” sounds like a conflicting statement.  How can little be more?  That may even seem like a lie to those who have a Western, American mindset that says bigger is better or more is more. 

The first thing that we need to understand is that the Kingdom of God doesn’t operate well in our mindsets.  Things that the kingdom of God teaches does not fit in our thinking.  Statements like turn the other cheek or give and it will be given to you just simply don’t fit in with our thinking.  Therein lies the challenge to every believer.  That is to change our thinking and the paths of our minds to fit the kingdom of God.  That is only done by saturating our minds with God’s Word and then repenting of wrong thinking and accepting the Word of God as final authority. 

That brings me back to the title of this article, “Little is More”.  One day, Jesus was with His disciples in the temple.  Luke’s gospel tells us that Jesus looked up and observed the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.  Imagine in your minds Jesus is standing in what was called the women’s court or the outer court.  This was where you would find 13 chests that were called the treasury.  The Jewish people would throw their coins into this chest every week as their gift or tithe to the temple.  Can you imagine the rich man putting in many coins, the noise that would make!  These people loved to make a show of their riches. 

Then along comes a poor widow.  Understand with me that a widow in Jesus’ day didn’t have her husband’s pension or any other income to really on.  A widow in Jesus’ day was the poorest of the Jewish society.  This woman doesn’t have many coins to throw into the treasury.  All she has is two small copper coins.  The Greek word used for these coins helps explain that these were the smallest possible coins used among the Jews.  In some translations it uses the word mite. 

Notice what Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.” (Luke 21:3–4 NASB 95) Jesus said that this widow put in more than all of them.  Notice Jesus said more than all of them.  That means more than all of them put together!  How can that be?  That brings us to this understanding; in Jesus’ eyes it isn’t the amount given but it is the trust in which it is given.  Jesus said the others gave from their surplus.  They gave only from their surplus.  They could easily do without what they gave.  The widow gave all she had to live on. She was totally trusting in the Lord.  She knew the promises given by God to the people of Israel.  She gave all she had and in Jesus’ eyes she gave more than all the people.  How could this be?  In the kingdom of God, it is not how much we give that matters.  What matters is how much we remain in control of what we have left. 

Jesus is looking for our total trust.  There are times when we are all tempted to do what we want.  To take charge of our lives and outcome.  There are times when we don’t see the fruit of our labor.  When we feel small and insignificant. 

In the kingdom of God, the amount means nothing.  It is our trust that means the difference between little being more or more being little.  Many believe that they have so little to give.  Because of that, they give nothing at all.  They compare themselves to those who seemingly have so much and become discouraged in giving their little. 

We must be kingdom minded and understand that God is asking for our trust.  Our trust is seen in our giving our all to Him.  In the kingdom of God, the underlying principle is Jesus is Lord of all. 

I want to encourage you to take all you have and trust it to the lordship of Jesus. Take all your abilities, whether great or small, and give them to Jesus. When we do, He looks at them and sees that little is more.   Trust is the element that turns our little into more.